February 9, 2009 - How Should Health Care be Reformed?

The current United States trend of ever increasing health-care spending, superimposed upon technologic advancement and an aging demographic, is unsustainable. The poor and vulnerable can expect increasing difficulty accessing medical care without significant change in our health-care system. Well-intentioned leaders often advocate for 'comprehensive' or 'universal' reform with more government involvement in health care. Yet this same government has a record found wanting in the defense of vulnerable human life. Over fifty percent of medical spending is already government funded. Market-oriented improvements that respect principles of social justice would contribute to a more ethical allocation of medical resources. These would better serve the common good, rather than the more ostensibly attractive proposals which propagate third-party responsibility for health care.